GUIDELINES

FLOWER FUND

COURT OF APPEALS OF GEORGIA

I. PURPOSE

The Court of Appeals of Georgia shall create a flower fund to provide funds for an appropriate expression of sympathy, joy, congratulations or recognition of achievement on certain occasions involving Court personnel.

II. CREATION

1. The Administrator/Clerk shall invoice and collect from each Judge on the Court a minimum contribution of $50 per year to establish a non-interest-bearing checking account to effect the purposes of the flower fund.

2. The Court may assess such other contributions to the fund, by majority vote, as the Court may deem appropriate. In no event shall the annual contribution in any one calendar year exceed $150 per Judge.

3. Whenever the balance of the flower fund shall exceed $500, the minimum yearly contribution shall be stayed until such time as the balance falls below $500. (Source: May, 1996 Banc Minutes)

III. APPLICATION

1. The flower fund shall be used to provide flowers, or an appropriate expression of sympathy, joy, congratulations or recognition of achievement to Court personnel as follows:

a. To any Judge's family in the event of the death

APPENDIX 10

of the Judge, the Judge's spouse, the Judge's child, the Judge's mother or father, or the Judge's mother-in-law or father-in-law.

b. To any Judge, Judge's spouse or Judge's child	living in the Judge's home, who is hospitalized for a period of more than 24 hours.

c. To any Court personnel, other than a Judge, upon	the death of such Court personnel, the death of such Court personnel's spouse, or the death of such Court personnel's child living in the home of such Court personnel.

d. To any court personnel, other than a Judge, who is	hospitalized for a period of more than 48 hours.

e. To any Judge who marries.

f. To any family of any former Judge of this Court	who dies or to any former Judge if such Judge's spouse predeceases the Judge.

2.	The Court may, by a vote of at least six Judges, provide for such other expressions of sympathy, joy, congratulations or recognition of achievement, as the Court may deem appropriate. (Source: September 1996 Banc meeting).

IV. ADMINISTRATION

1.	The Administrator/Clerk shall be responsible for administrating the flower fund to include:

a. Invoicing all Judges for the minimum annual contribution by April 30 of each year and insuring collection by June 1 of each year.

b. Invoicing all Judges for all special contributions and insuring collection of any special contribution within 30 days of such invoicing.

c. Balancing the flower fund account and reporting to the Banc when there has been any activity in the flower fund account, and in the event of no activity in the flower fund account, reporting to the Banc at least annually, beginning with the January 1996 Banc Meeting.

d. Sending an appropriate expression from the Court on appropriate occasions pursuant to these guidelines.

e. Doing such other things as may be reasonably required to effect the purposes of the flower fund.

2.	The Administrator/Clerk and the Deputy Administrator shall be signatories on the flower fund checking account.

3.	In the absence of the Administrator/Clerk or at the direction of the Administrator/Clerk, the Deputy Administrator shall be responsible for administrating the flower fund.

V. COST OF EXPRESSION - NUMBER OF EXPRESSIONS

1.	The amount of funds expended on any one flower fund donation or expression shall not exceed $75.

2.	The Administrator/Clerk shall send, when appropriate under the guidelines, a gift, expression or donation, the cost of which shall be determined by the local economy where the flowers are purchased or the expression or donation is made.

3.	Any gift, donation or expression made by the Court shall reflect taste and thoughtfulness, and shall not be so penurious as to embarrass the Court, but shall not exceed the $75 limit.

4.	Any gift, donation or expression sent in excess of $75 shall be authorized by a vote of five Judges on the Court.

5.	No Judge on the court, or other Court personnel, shall receive more than one expression per calendar year for hospitalization. (For example, flowers shall be sent to a Judge's spouse only once during the calendar year; flowers may be sent to each Judge's child during the year, but only one expression per child per year.)

6.	Only one recognition of achievement per Court personnel may be sent per year.

VI. UNEXPENDED FLOWER FUNDS

1.	The Court may, at any time, by majority vote, dissolve or discontinue the flower fund.

2.	Upon such dissolution, the Administrator/Clerk or Deputy Administrator shall distribute the funds remaining n the flower fund to the Judges on the Court proportionately, based upon their contributions of unexpended funds remaining in the flower fund.

VII. AMENDMENT TO GUIDELINES

1.	These guidelines shall be placed in the Court's Internal Operations Manual as an appendix to that manual so that all judges will have convenient access to these guidelines.

2.	These guidelines may be amended at any time by majority vote of the Judges on this Court.